Thousands of Shias and Sunnis protest in Karachi against Shia genocide in Pakistan

Tens of thousands of women, men and children, most of them Shias abut also some Sunnis, Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus, are currently part of a peaceful sit-in in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, to express unity and outrage against Shia genocide in Pakistan. The protest started on Friday 14 December and has now entered its third day. While Pakistani media and analysts usually discard Shia genocide as sectarian violence or ethnic violence, the Shia and Sunni demonstrators insist that Shias are being killed by Deobandi militants who are also killing innocent Sunnis, Ahmadis and Christians. “This is not Sunni vs Shia sectarianism, this is Takfiri Deobandis vs Sunni plus Shia”, a demonstrator said.

“Enough is enough”, these Shia demonstrators say, who constitutes over 20% of Pakistan’s 180 million populations and the second largest Muslim sect in the country. This is the city center and this huge gathering of Shia Muslims are protesting over the targeted killings of Shias across Pakistan. They are demanding to arrest the members of banned Deobandi out-fits (Sipah Sahaba aka Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat) who have been killing their loved ones. At least 500 Shias have been gunned down in 2012 alone.

According to an estimate, at least 20,000 Shia Muslims have been killed in Pakistan by a Takfiri Deobandi militant group namely Sipah Sahaba (currently operating as Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ASWJ). The Sipah Sahaba is closely affiliated with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and is believed to enjoy support of Pakistan military establishment, which uses its members for Jihadist operations in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The Sipah Sahaba militants (Takfiri Deobandis) have also killed thousands of Sunni Muslims (Sufi Sunnis in particular) and hundreds of Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus in the last few years.

Under the influence of Pakistan army, Pakistani government and media is currently busy in ignoring and misrepresenting the anti- Shia genocide protest by describing it in vague terms, or completely censoring the event.

The demonstrators in Karachi carried pictures of their deceased loved ones and called on the Islamabad government and Pakistan army to arrest and punish the killers and provide security to the Shia community in Pakistan.

The demonstrators also criticized the United Nations and human rights groups for not doing enough to stop violence against Pakistani Shias, and exercising double standards towards Malala Yousafzai and Mehzar Zehra.

On October 9, fifteen-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was shot by a Deobandi Taliban gunman in the Swat Valley. The assassination attempt received immediate worldwide media coverage and produced an outpouring of sympathy.

On November 30, 12-year-old Mehzar Zehra was shot by a Deobandi Sipah Sahaba gunman on Karachi’s busy Shaheed-i-Millat road as she was on her way to school. The reprehensible and tragic incident went unnoticed.

Pakistani Shia leaders blamed what they call complicity of Pakistan army and ISI with the Takfiri Deobandi militants of the Sipah Sahaba, the pro-Taliban Chief Justice of Pakistan, and a lack of will in politicians for the spiraling anti-Shia violence in Pakistan.

“Government is not looking after people. They are not taking note of targeted killings of Shias, and now even Shia women and children are being killed. We are here so they should know what is happening with us?” a female protester said.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Pakistani government has failed to stop violence against Shias, who account for around 20 percent of the 167-million-strong population of the country.

The pro-Taliban Sipah Sahaba militants have been involved in a violent campaign against Shia Muslims in Pakistan over the past many years.

Source: Press TV, Pakistan Today, Shia Killing,

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